Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/212

 188 SKETCHES OF THE

which had driven Mr. Henry from a military hfe. It would seem that the truly respectable and venerable chairman of that committee, came in at the time, for his full proportion of this censure, and that he smarted severely under it: this I infer, from a letter of his to colonel Woodford some time afterwards, in answer to one by which that gentleman had consulted him as to the propriety of his resigning his commission. After having dissuaded him from this step by other topics, he proceeds thus: " I am apprehensive that your resigna- tion will be handled to your disadvantage, from a cer- tain quarter, where all i^eputatimis are sacrificed, for the sake of one; what does it signify, that he resigned without any such cause, or assigning any reason at all; it is iwt without example, that others should be censmed for what he is applauded for '^ This acrimony, so un- usual from a man ol Mr. Pendleton's benevolence and courtesy, could have been wrung from him only by the bitterest provocations; and renders it highly probable, that the numerous and enthusiastic admirers of Mr. Henry, had implicated this gentleman deeply in the indignities which had recently been offered to their favourite.

The necessity of placing this incident of Mr. Henry's life in its true light, upon the evidence in my posses- sion, has imposed upon me a very painful duty, in re- gard to Mr. Pendleton. With the justice or injustice of the construction placed upon his conduct in relation to Mr. Henry, I have nothing to do. Even if just, the infirmity of human nature may be easily excused in feeling some uneasiness, at the eclipsing brightness with which Mr. Henry had rushed like a comet, to the head of affairs in Virginia. It demands, however, no uncom- mon measure of charity, to beUeve that what was in>

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